Yours
by vanella-star
Summary: (Spoilers) The story of how Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta met, and everything in between up to Finnick's death, and possibly beyond that. (Told in Annie's point of view)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The wind blows our hair as we walk along the shore of District 4. The warm sand below our feet, the shining sun above our heads; this is the perfect summer day. I kick a small pile of sand, making it blow into the air, helped by the wind. I watch as the particles settle down, and sit down beside them. Kristi and Ellie, my two friends, join me. We sit in a triangle, my friends side by side, myself acting as the point. The water just misses our bodies as it flows back and forth.

I like to think that the water has its own enemy, the sand, let's say, and it's trying to chase it, to capture it. But a stronger, hidden force holds it back, and the water tries with all its might to catch its opponent. The force lets it go, just for a second, and then quickly pulls it back, teasing the water. It's like a game, a harmless game. Nothing to compare to the game that I'm forced to participate in.

And by that, of course, I mean the Hunger Games. The nation that I live in, Panem, is controlled by the Capitol. The Capitol is surrounded by twelve Districts. There used to be a thirteenth District, but during the Dark Days, it was destroyed by the Capitol, showing us citizens that we cannot do anything to stop them, and that they control us. Therefore the Hunger Games was born, to keep us in line and make sure that we know who stands above us. Each year a boy and girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen are involved in the public event called the reaping, where the two are randomly chosen to represent each District. The twenty-four tributes, as they are titled, are forced to fight to the death, with one standing alone as victor. As you increase in age, your chance for being reaped is higher.

In Districts 1, 2, and 4, the teenagers fight to be a tribute. Having trained illegally their whole life, they are ready and prepared to kill. They do this by volunteering, offering themselves up as a tribute after a name is announced, but gender rules apply. Girls can only switch with a girl's position and the same for the boys. I would not consider myself a Career tribute, as these vicious tributes are called. I have not trained the least bit in my life so far, being twelve now. Kristi and Ellie act like they could kill, but I think only Kristi, who is fifteen, could if they had to. She's trained most of her life, with Ellie, fourteen, by her side, training as well, but not by much. I might just be the only one in District 4 who hadn't started training at a young age. I've thought about starting, but honestly, I don't think I'd be able to be myself again after the Games, and that's saying I won. What I mean is that the Games can change yourself. The way you think and act. You've probably just killed many innocent people and now you expect yourself to go back to the normal, smiling life you once had? It's hard.

I sigh and try to distract myself from the thoughts of the reaping weeks away. I draw a heart in the sand, as if that would bring the true love that I hope for someday. Though, if I was reaped, I probably wouldn't have a future, as I'd most likely die. I smooth the sand with the palm of my hand, erasing the picture.

Getting up and watching my friends talk, I move closer to the water. I take off my shorts, since I have my bathing suit underneath. I also strip myself of my shirt, throwing them both behind me and wading into the water.

I'm as free as a bird when I'm in the water. I can be myself and nobody else, because the water accepts me. Its greets me as an old friend, takes me in as if I'm one of its own. I'm able to kick and swim freely in here. I close my eyes as I swim forward for a few seconds. As soon as I open my eyes, there's a loud sound and bubbles in the water and someone jumps in beside me. Frightened, I squirm and flail until I'm breathing above the water, having swallowed some in the process. Another head, blond, comes up and stares at me with blue eyes. Kristi. "Well, hello, Annie," she says, smiling.

"Thank you for scaring me," I say back, keeping myself afloat and still breathing heavily from the shock. I turn my head and watch as Ellie strips down on the sand, about ready to join us. She takes her time as she wades into the water a few feet until she's near us.

"Hey," she says, before dunking her head. I watch as then a second later a mass of red hair surfaces, and brown eyes staring straight at Kristi and me.

"So how's the training going?" I ask, directed at the two of them. Even though Kristi hasn't been reaped at twelve, thirteen, or even fourteen, and Ellie at twelve or thirteen, they still train. This way they get better and better until they're positive they can kill. But still, I'm not really sure that both of them are up to it, let alone Ellie. She wouldn't hurt a fly. But then again, when it comes down to survival...

"It's fine," answers Kristi. "We're getting stronger every day." In response, Ellie flexes her muscles and I laugh, finding it funny, though she does seem strong.

"So would you volunteer to become a tribute?" I ask. Both of the two nod their heads in response.

"Yes. Especially if it was for someone I know well. And if I knew that they wouldn't have a chance in the arena," Kristi says. "Like you, Annie." She laughs softly.

"Haha, you're so funny, Kristi," I respond, suddenly wanting to get away from them. I go under the water and kick, propelling myself forward and away from my friends. I think about what my friends have just said and what they probably think about me. But it's true. I'm weak. My only talent is swimming, since I swim whenever I can. But how could that ever help me? I don't think I would become a victor because I could swim better than anyone else. The idea is laughable.

But maybe I really should start training, even if it's as late as twelve. I know my parents want me to, so that they wouldn't have to struggle through the loss of their only child. Honestly, I don't think I want to. I don't feel it's necessary, because I feel like I'd die anyway. I'd try to hide, I bet, but it probably wouldn't end well for me. I'm definitely not a District 4 Career, like everybody else here.

I turn my head and see Ellie talking to Kristi. Maybe she's trying to tell her to be nicer to me, or maybe she's agreeing with her. Not that I care.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a cry for help not far off. My friends are so engrossed in their conversation and are not close enough to hear it. I twist my head, trying to see anything, and I do happen to spot a person in the water with their arms flailing wildly above their head. Another scream is heard, and now I'm sure it's from the person who seems to be drowning. I take one last look at Kristi and Ellie, who seem to be arguing now, and swim toward the helpless victim.

The screams are louder and clearer as I come closer, and I can see the person crying for attention is a boy. He seems to be athletic and strong too, not at all like the weakling pictured in my mind. Either way, though, they seem to need help, and I'm determined to reach him.

I make it as close as I can without getting hit in the face as the boy continues to panic. I try calming him down, try speaking to him softly, but the boy keeps on thrashing wildly. I end up throwing my arms around his torso and dragging him to the sand, but it's not as easy as it seems. I try to keep us both above water, but he's still going crazy. Only when he is lying on the sand, does he stop and close his eyes. I sit there, beside the lying body, both of us breathing rapidly.

"Are you okay?" I manage to get out after a minute, and the boy opens his eyes. I look at him. He has a thick head of bronze hair and green eyes. The boy turns his head to me and smiles. "What?" He turns away and starts laughing, a slightly deep laugh, and I can tell that he is ending puberty. "What's so funny?" I demand. Another boy comes out from the shadows and runs over to the one beside me. The new boy bends down and high-fives the other boy, who I guess is his friend. Then they are both on the sand and laughing.

I stand up. "This was a joke, wasn't it?" I ask, angry and embarrassed. They don't seem to hear me, as they're still laughing on the ground. I walk away, not looking back.

"Wait!" I whip my head around to find the boy, who was supposedly drowning, running after me. He isn't smiling or laughing anymore, though his buddy behind him still is. I turn back and continue walking away. He catches up and puts his hand on my shoulder, but I force it away. He then decides to run and stand in front of me, so I'm forced to stop in my path.

"What do you want? That wasn't funny," I say. I look up at the boy.

"I'm sorry. It was a cruel joke," he apologizes.

"I'm not forgiving you," I tell him, and walk around him. I don't look back as I go back to Kristi and Ellie, and he doesn't try to stop me.

"Hey," Ellie and Kristi greet me as I get closer. "Did you go for a long swim?" I sit down beside Ellie, who sits next to Kristi on the sand.

"Something like that," I say. After being told that I'm weak by Kristi, I'm not really in the mood to tell them about my little adventure just before. And now that I think about, I never got the boy's name. It's alright, though, because I don't intend to see him again.

"You know, Annie, the reaping is weeks away. You could always start training now," Ellie says, and I look up at her. She wears a sad smile, like she feels sorry for me.

"I think I'll stick to swimming," I say.

"Alright, whatever you say," says Kristi. I sigh; I know that I'll never live up to anyone's expectations. I'm just hoping that my death will be quick and painless.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Tying knots. Untying knots. Tying knots. I continue the cycle with my rope as I sit on the sand, a few weeks later, while Kristi and Ellie swim. I'm trying to distract myself from the world around me, from the reaping this weekend, from everything. But it's not really working.

"Come on, Annie, join us!" Ellie shouts from the water. She smiles and disappears under the waves.

"No thanks, I'm fine!" I yell back as Ellie's red hair comes back into view. I go back to tying knots, and end up thinking about the exact thing that I do not want to think about: the reaping.

This will be my first reaping, since I'm twelve, and I'm not sure how to feel. Scared, of course, since I'm not a Career, but would it really matter if I'm going to die anyway? I mean dying in the arena, and yet I don't. Because eventually we will all die, so why does it matter at what age? Yes, it's not a nice thought, but it's still the truth.

I look up from my work and stare ahead into the bright sun. Blinking, I look around, and spot two figures walking toward where I sit. The direction they are going means that Kristi and Ellie will have to meet the two before me.

And sure enough, they spot the guys and rush out of the water, grabbing their towels. They walk up to them as they come closer, and all four stop far away from me. Which is perfectly fine, since I'm not in the mood to be a flirt.

I watch, my friends' backs to me. I see that the two boys are tall, and seem to be around, maybe, fourteen or fifteen. They're all talking, though I can't make out the conversation. I hear laughing, and get bored and decide to go back to my knots.

After a few minutes, I look up to see them still talking. Kristi and Ellie are still wrapped in their towels, their hair whipping and drying in the wind. Then suddenly one of the boys looks over Kristi's shoulder, and I swear that he's staring right at me. It's kind of funny, actually, because for some reason he seems kind of familiar. The other boy, faintly, as well.

He then turns to his friend, says something, and starts walking towards me. That's when I see it. This guy is the one who pretended to drown a few weeks ago, and that's his friend. I don't know their names, though, and they don't know mine unless Kristi and Ellie told them.

I fidget nervously with the rope while the boy walks slowly toward where I sit. I keep my head down until I sense that he's close to me and looks up. "Hey, um, I was just wondering, are you the same girl-" I nod my head, knowing what he means, and the boy stops mid-sentence. "I'm Finnick Odair," he introduces himself as, kneeling down and holding out his hand. I don't take it but continue with my rope, wishing I was anywhere but here. His presence is making me uncomfortable, with the events of that day not too long ago.

The boy whom I now know is Finnick, looks down at my rope. "I'm sorry we never got to meet properly. What's your name?"

"Annie Cresta," I answer quietly. Finnick pauses for a moment before speaking next.

"What'cha doing there?" he asks, treating me like I'm a helpless mute. I pause for a few seconds before answering.

"Just tying knots," I say softly, but loud enough for him to hear me.

"Are you self-taught?"

"My father was the one who got me interested. He works at a shop in town, and he knows all about knots." I stop tying and leave the rope in my lap. I lift my head and look at Finnick. His eyes are full of sadness and hope that I'll forgive him. Luckily for Finnick, I think I just might.

I take a good look at him. His hair is the bronze that I remember, and the length is long, but not too long. Finnick's eyes are what really catches your attention; as they are an incredible sea green, almost like mine. His smile is perfection, and of course his body is strong and muscular. He wears swim shorts and flip flops.

"It can really distract you from life when you need to be. It's almost like a meditation; it calms and relaxes you. Or, at least for me," I add. I look down at the sand and pick some up, and then dump it down beside me.

"Can you teach me?" I'm not sure if he's trying to flirt or is actually curious; though I'm about two years younger than him. I decide that he's just curious.

"Sure. Meet me here tomorrow?" **Did I really just befriend that prankster jerk?**

"Sounds good. See you later," Finnick says, and gets up. He dusts the sand off his shorts and walks over to his friend, whose name I still don't know. Finnick and his friend share a few more words with my friends before they all go their separate ways.

I watch as Kristi and Ellie walk back over to me, and the two boys disappear. My friends throw their towels on the sand and sit in front of me. "So who's your new friend?" Ellie asks.

"Oh, I had run into him a while back," I say, throwing my rope down beside me.

"What's his name?" asks Kristi. "He hadn't told us."

"Finnick Odair," I respond. "What about you guys?"

"We met his friend, Marcus **Cabell," says Ellie. "He's nice. We were talking about the reaping and training. He seems like he could be a victor."**

** "What about Finnick?" questions Kristi. "Does he seem strong?" I think about it.**

** "Yeah, he seems like he could win the Games if he was a tribute," I say. **

** A few minutes pass as we sit in silence. Eventually, I take my rope and hold it inside a tight fist. I get up, and so do Kristi and Ellie. "We'll meet here tomorrow?" I ask, hoping their answer is yes. I don't really want to be here alone with Finnick.**

** "That's fine," says Ellie, and we separate as we all go home. The whole time I think about Finnick Odair, and what our friendship will become. **

As planned, I spot Finnick Odair sitting on the sand the next day, accompanied by his friend Marcus. Ellie and Kristi strip of their clothes until they stand in their bathing suits and join Marcus. Finnick walks over to where I awkwardly stand by my friends' disregarded heap of clothes. "Do you want to sit over there?" he asks, and points to a spot not far off from the water.

"Okay," I respond, and, taking out two pieces of rope from my pocket, follow Finnick. We sit down beside each other, and I hand him his share. "I think you know how to tie a simple knot," I say.

"Of course." I watch his fingers fly as he ties a knot, and unties it just as quickly. Impressed, I take my own rope and tie a more complicated one.

"Here," I say, handing it to him. "Untie it." And he does.

"I guess you could say I'm a natural," he says, handing me back both pieces of rope. I smile, but only slightly.

"Are you done already?" I ask. By way of response, Finnick runs and dives into the water, splashing my clothes. Angry, I jump up.

"Join me!" Finnick emerges and gestures toward me, inviting me in. Sighing, I take off my wet clothes, revealing my bathing suit, and leave them in a pile on the sand.

Taking my hair out of its loose ponytail, I wade into the mass of blue. Finnick swims off, leaving me behind. I walk until I'm up to my neck in water, and dive underneath. I catch sight of Finnick's legs kicking in the water. He glances around, spots me, smiles, and swims faster away. I get it; he wants to race.

But should I really be giving my full attention to this boy who I don't really know? It might be a good idea to get to actually know Finnick before I give myself up to him. I decide to get out of the water, and sit down on the sand.

After a short while, Finnick joins me, seeming somewhat disappointed. I silently shrug it off and take out my rope. I sit quietly, only my hands moving as I tie and untie the same complicated knot. "I swam all the way out, thinking you were following me, Annie, you know?" he tells me as he sits down beside me. I look up at him, he being slightly taller.

"I'm sorry," I apologize.

"Then why did you do it?" Finnick looks at me. I then realize that I'm just as bad as him, playing the same game. Letting him think that something was true, when it wasn't, just like he did to me. I sigh once more and fiddle with my rope, now trying to focus my attention on tying knots.

"I don't really know you, Finnick," I say slowly, trying to put my thoughts into words. Finnick seems surprised by my words.

"Well, what do you want to know, then?" I put down the rope and began to think.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Green. What's yours?"

"Pink."

"Typical."

"W-what?"

"Most girls like pink. It's a girly color."

"That's so sexist!"

"Oh, is it?" Finnick smiles here.

"Yeah, it is!" I smile ever so slightly.

"Okay, okay, let me ask you a question, Annie."

"Go ahead."

"Do you still hate me for what I did a while back?" I'm taken by surprise. Maybe Finnick also saw what I saw with my joke on him.

"Um, yes, it was a cruel thing to do, but I think I'm over it."

"Good." Finnick smiles again. I like his smile. "So what else do you want to know?"

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No, do you?"

"No. How old are you, Finnick? I happened to miss that."

"Fourteen. And you are-"

"Twelve." I seem like such a child compared to him.

"You're mature for your age." I guess I'm _not_ a child to him.

"Thanks." I smile. Finnick looks at me, right into my eyes.

"Listen, I've got to go, but can we meet here other time?"

"I'd like that." Once again, I smile, but this time, I look into his eyes. Finncik smiles and gets up to go. He whistles, which make my friends' and Marcus's heads turn from where they are in the water. Marcus nods his head, says some words to the girls, and they swim to the sand. Finnick turns to me, waves, and starts walking away, toward Marcus, where eventually, the two walk off together. I watch them go until I can't see them anymore. Kristi and Ellie start walking over to me. I smile at them as I stand up and gather my stuff, them starting to do the same.

The three of us walk away, side by side, until we enter the village where our homes lay and separate. Waving goodbye, I take a path that leads me to my house, which is one of the smaller ones in the district. It's brown that has steps that lead to a nice wooden porch in the front. I walk up the few steps, onto the porch and then into my house.

Taking the stairs up to the bedrooms, I spot mine and go inside. My room is a nice lavender with white to contrast it. I sit down on my bed and smile to myself. It'll be nice to have a male friend, because I'll admit Kristi and Ellie can get annoying sometimes. And Finnick, oh, he seems so... nice.


End file.
